Do I need to experience badger? (+Which one to get)

[SillyPancake]

Title says it all. I have quite an experience with synthetic brush, and I like the soft tips and the backbone. Boars are also good, but they should be soak before use, and they can eat lather.
But, never had any badger, and recently I have been looking at Zenith Manchurian badger. Price is quite ok, around 66€, that is about my limit for a brush.
So, am I missing something for not experiencing a badger. Or am I better to buy just one boar and save some money?

 

[Rustyshackelford]

I’m a big boar fan, and also a big zenith fan. I was in your position about badger a few months ago, not loving badger over all despite having tried a few. I bought a zenith 28mm manchurian, and this checks the boxes for me as far as badger goes. But to be totally honest with you, if you like synths and boars for the backbone, you may not have your world rocked by badger.

the two badger brushes I actually like and will use regularly in my mostly boar brush rotation are the zenith manchurian and for something with just a little less backbone, I have a WCS 3 band finest that feels nice.

Coming out of left field here with this option... give a zenith extra soft horse hair brush a look. I rolled the dice on one a couple months ago just to try it. I have found this to be a wonderful brush.

zenith manchurians below:

WCS finest below:

Zenith Extra soft horse below:

 

[BigJ]

Badger brushes are definitely not required or necessary.

But they are also my favorites! I face-lather soaps and prefer smaller brushes with good backbone.

The only way to tell if you are a ’badger boy’ is to try a few!

 

[LJS]

If you are happy with what you are doing then No. If you are more curious or prefer some different options from time to time, then it is fair to say badgers are one of the more preferred shaving brushes for a long time and for good reason. As are boars.

 

[OhioBob]

I had a similar situation. I had a cheap badger brush when I started "Wet" shaving then I got turned onto synthetics. I thought I was happy with my collection of synthetics then a friend suggested I try a silvertip badger. My first silvertip was from WCS their Beacon Silvertip and it's a wonderful brush at a reasonable price. Oh, but then I had to try a Zenith brush and purchased a Zenith Kotibe Wood Premium Silvertip Shave Brush 24.5 mm P9. The Zenith is definitely a higher quality brush, smaller in stature but an excellent brush. Both Silvertip's perform just a tad better than any of my synthetics, but then as mentioned above, you have to try them to see what works for you.

 

[boilerphan]

I always believe that everyone should try as many different types of products as you are able to. I can tell you how great something is for me, but you never know until you try it yourself.

 

[TBoner]

I guess it depends a little bit on what you want to get out of wetshaving. I am a serial acquirer, and I don't like that about myself. I have enjoyed trying a wide variety of products over the last 12+ years. If you're in it to try things, trying a badger makes sense.

That said, I think often about a trip to New York City that my wife and I took in 2008, just a couple of months after I started wetshaving. My wife was pregnant with our first child. We stayed in a small hostel with tiny rooms and a shared shower. There was a sink in the corner of the room, and it was a cold spring week, and the water from the sink virtually never got more than lukewarm. My kit at the time was a PIF'd '58 SuperSpeed, a Van Der Hagen boar, and a tube of the old version of Proraso Red cream with wheat germ and lanolin. I bought blades from a corner drugstore when we got to the city and used two of them over the week we were there. Every morning I would tumble out of bed, shower, shave with this beginner budget stuff, and then head out into the city streets. During the time we were there, I visited Cambridge Chemists and Pasteur and C.O. Bigelow. I bought a sampler of Penhaligon's scents and a Simpson badger and a tub of Harris cream. The cycle of buy-try-sell-repeat began there. In the intervening years I have enjoyed many shaves, and my technique has improved, but there hasn't been a shave I've enjoyed more than I did those chilly mornings with a clipped boar and a splash of icy water.

Experience or kit? What matters? Only you know that answer for yourself.

 

[Sotiris_A]

IMHO, from a utilitarian point of view, it is difficult to find a natural hair brush that outperforms a modern synthetic. Face feel excluded of course.

That said, if you are curious then go ahead. Just be aware that the Zenith knots at 26-28mm are quite big for face lathering.

Good luck with your decision and happy shaves!

 

[SillyPancake]

Thank you for the input, I have to think about it. I am not going to buy anything new before November, so I have plenty of time.

 

[Jurre]

Maybe try a badger brush from aliexpress. I bought a dscosmetic 26mm manchurian badger. It was my first badger and i love it. Only 30 euro.

 

[Atlantic59]

The 11.11 sale is coming up on Aliexpress.com. You can get a two-band badger very inexpensively. For example, a Yaqi 24mm two-band Mysterious Space for under $12 with shipping? A Yaqi silvertip Clear Lake for under $16? These brushes are not as good as some of the premium brands, but they would give you a chance to try a decent badger brush without spending a fortune. I would avoid pure grade badgers, though.

 

[BudgetShaverGuy]

A few weeks ago, I would've told you to not even bother. But after pulling a good old Simpson from storage and having a bang-up-good shave with it, I'll say YES! Compared to synthetics and boars, badgers provide a unique "bed of fur" kind of face-feel that is very unique. They hold tons of water and heat also, which makes lathering up more cozy when it's colder in your bathroom. I have not owned many badgers, but the Simpsons always win. There is something special about them.

Generally speaking, the bigger/denser ones are going to "eat" more product (and money), so I'd steer clear of those. Are you a face or bowl-lathering fella? My little Simpson Berkeley 46 in Best is fantastic to face-lather with, especially with shave sticks. Definitely in your price range but the knot/handle might be too small for your application. Another I have not tried but is considered by many to be the best "bang for the buck" Simpson is the Colonel X2L. It's got a longer handle and fuller knot and is supposed to be great at both face and bowl-lathering.

If you tell us your favorite synthetics and boars that might help too. Enjoy the chase!

 

[SillyPancake]

@BudgetShaverGuy I have used Omega pro 49, Stirling synthetic, and dscosmetic synthetic. Dscosmetic is my favourite, it is 26 mm knot, bulb, and the handle is bigger as on Stirling. Stirling knot is 24 mm, but the handle is way too small for my large hands, it is essentially only a 2 finger handle.
I am a full time face latherer and the synthetics I like a bit better for me. Boar is fine, but synthetics are a bit better.
I like the idea of waiting for some discounts....maybe.
Zeniths Manchurian are looking good, and I saw some good reviews on them

 

[nemo]

Yes, you need to try one so buy from a reputable firm and you'll be able to sell it if you are not convinced. I'd recommend a Simpson Berkeley 46 in best badger as a good gateway brush. It's small but badger, in my opinion, seems to feel larger on the face. But it'll give you an idea of what a quality badger does for your shave.

 

[Adam18]

Another I have not tried but is considered by many to be the best "bang for the buck" Simpson is the Colonel X2L. It's got a longer handle and fuller knot and is supposed to be great at both face and bowl-lathering.

Yes indeed. The incredible Simpson Colonel X2L ----
my first ever shaving brush, and now that I have ten brushes, it's still one of my favorites.

 

[Timeclo]

I've had couple synthetics and boars when I started off and I was satisfied with them. However, when I tried a badger, it was a whole new experience; soft tips and dense, massaging feeling on the face. I was really surprised how they felt.

Couple years later, I still enjoy badgers but my satisfaction is pretty much similar to boars and synthetics. I enjoy the massaging qualities of badgers but synthetics tend to be the easiest to work with, in terms of lathering. I think you should give it a try because it's a different feel and you might like it a lot. Just be careful of any pure/black badgers... I'd say look towards 2-bands if you like more backbone or silvertips if you like less backbone.